Christopher Reed on Social Security

Republican challenger

Let younger workers opt out

Reed argued younger workers ought to be able to opt out and be responsible for their own retirement while those who paid into the program would still get what they contributed. "Americans are smart enough, they don't need a nanny state taking care of the
all the time," Reed said.

Reed was confronted by crowd member Robert D. Williams, a 79-year-old Democrat from Indianola, who said poor people were left with nothing before Social Security was created. "The Social
Security system, the only way it's going to be solvent, is that we have none of this talk about or action about people opting out and taking their money and doing something else," Williams said.

Harkin also expressed opposition to
the idea. "If privatization is so good, why didn't it work for all those years before we had Social Security?" Harkin said. "The reason we have Social Security was because the private sector wouldn't do this, couldn't do it."

Honor promises, but chance to opt out of Social Security

I think if they paid into Social Security they should get what they paid into it but I think Americans need a chance to opt out of Social Security if they choose to.

Q: So you favor some kind of a private account?

A: I would favor the option.
You should be given the option in this country. You shouldn't have to be given to a socialized system. If you want to opt out of and be in control of your own retirement you should be allowed to in this country.
Q: Let's look to history. Social Security was a Depression era program when the nation didn't have a retirement system, a lot of people were in poverty. Was it a mistake?

A:
I think it was a benevolent idea but when you take the power out of the people's hands and put it into the government hands that's not going to solve anything.